abstract
LARGE PAINTED MARBLE STATUESETOWAH
INDIAN MOUNDS STATE HISTORIC SITE

This article illustrates two examples of, Mississippian culture,
human effigy painted stone statues. They were discovered during the
excavation of Mound C on the Etowah Mounds State Historic Site in
northwestern Georgia. These two marble figures represent some of the
most skillfully crafted stone sculptures yet discovered in the southeastern United States.

"The most prominent form of Mississippian
stone work is free-standing effigy sculpture, usually human
representations."---1982,
Thomas E. Emerson, Mississippian Stone Images In Illinois, p. 2. "Statues like those found in Burial 15--the
2 marble statues illustrated here---are
generally considered to be representations of chiefly ancestors, in some
cases even representing the founders of chiefly lineages." ---2004,
Adam King, "Hero, Hawk, And Open Hand," Power And The
Sacred," p. 155."Sculptures of the human form, or what might
be termed self-portraiture, while not of abundant occurrence in the
mound area, are of paramount interest and importance. To be able to see
the Mound-builder as he saw himself is intriguing." -----1930, Henry Clyde Shetrone, "The Mound-Builders," p.
123-124.

These two large human figures, carved in stone, were
discovered during the excavation of Mound C, by Lewis Larson, on the Etowah Mounds site. The Etowah site is
located in northwestern Georgia in Bartow County next to the Etowah River. The site is contained within 54.3
acres (22 hectares) and surrounded on three sides by a deep ditch or
moat. The Etowah River forms the fourth side. There are six mounds on
the site and three of them dominate the plaza area. The largest mounds are designated
A, B and C. Mound A and B are platform temple mounds. Mound A is the major
feature of the site and measures nearly 63 feet high. Mound C was a
mortuary mound that was in use for more than one hundred years.

This free standing sculpture of a male human may represent an
important ancestor figure or even a mythological being. It's one of
the largest anciently carved stone sculptures ever discovered to
date in North America. It was discovered during the excavation of
mortuary Mound C, in burial number 15. This sculpture and the female
figure pictured below were hurriedly buried sometime during the end
of the Late Wilbanks phase. It's surface was decorated with three or more pigments. The
ears were colored red with ochre and other parts of the head and
face were colored with both red ochre and carbon black. A portion of
the chest area is covered with a heavy incrusted residue of a dark green
material that appears to be copper.
This figure was made of marble from the north Georgia area and it measures 24 inches (61cm) high.

The two painted marble statues illustrated in this
article were in use sometime between A.D. 1250 and 1375. These mortuary offerings were
discovered in Mound C and within burial number 15,
along with other grave goods. The scattered bones of four individuals
were also found with the statues. They appear to have been hurriedly
buried sometime toward the end of the Wilbanks phase just before the
site was abandoned for the second time. The statues were found as Lewis
Larson described them "jumbled one on top of the other." They
were also found damaged. The male figure had one arm broken off.

This stone carved human figure of a female was found in mortuary Mound C by Lewis
Larson, along with the one pictured above. It's carved in a seated
position, with legs folded underneath. The craftsman also detailed
the figure with a
belt, skirt and headdress. Several pigments were added to the
surface to enhance the head and facial features and indicate articles
of clothing. The ears, lips and part of the headdress
were painted with red ochre and carbon black. A portion of the chest
area is also covered with a heavy incrusted residue of a dark green
material that appears to be copper. This statue was carved out of marble from the north Georgia
area. It measures 22 inches (55.9cm) high.

At least two
other stone human form sculptures were found in and near Mound C. One,
measuring 17.5 inches (43.8 cm) high, was found during the early
excavations of Mound C in 1925. It is similar in design to the large
male figure illustrated here. This one was found on the western side of
the summit of the mound in a small stone box grave. Moorehead writes
about the discovery "The image was somewhat damaged. Apparently,
the Indians had assembled all fragments and placed them within this
receptacle which was 2 feet long, about a foot in width, and 12 or 14
inches deep" (Moorehead 1979: 75). The other was a sculpture of a
female measuring 15.75 inches (40 cm) high. This one was reported to
have been found in a plowed field near one of the mounds.